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Tribal Fighting in NWFP by General Sir Andrew Skeen. KCB;KCLE;CMG.
Foreword by Field Marshal Sir Philip W. Chetwode,GCB;GCSI;KCMG;DSO
During the first half of the twentieth century, the mountainous North West Frontier represented one of the British Empire's most strategically important borders. For thousands of inexperienced British and Indian troops facing local resistence the methods and lessons of their predecssors were vital for their survival.
General Sir Andrew Skeen's unofficial but authoritative textbook was written with these junior officers in mind. His work provided them with pragmatic and practical information on hill warfare in an accessible fashion. Skeen's understanding of frontier fighting remains as valuable to modern troops fighting local insurgents today as it was to successive generation of imperial soldiers who faced tribal uprisings.
In May 1919, the new Emir of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan-convinced that the British Empire was on the brink of collapse-proclaimed a jihad against Britian in the hope he could sieze the old Afghan provinces west of the river Indus and humiliate his old enemy. The war began with the invasion of the tribal belt, in what is today Pakistan, where Amanullah expected to rouse all the tribes against the British. British-Indian forces retaliated by fighting their way across the mountains and back up the Khyber Pass. For the sake of a better peace, the Third Afghan War ended with Britian granting autonomy in foreign affairs to the Afghans in the Treaty of Rawalpindi. Whilst air power had played a significant in the British success, the Afghans had issued a stark reminder that they were formidable adversaries.
General Sir Andrew Skeen was one of Britian's most experienced frontier warfare officers and spent the years 1919-1920 fighting the Mahsuds and Waziris, the most notorious of all cross border groups. The majority of troops under his command were initially wholly inexperienced and barelt fit for frontier service. Lessons in Imperial Rule(first published in 1932 under the title Passing it On) was written with a view to imparting sound, practical advise on fighting in this region for future generations.
The lesson explained include the various aspects of work in establishing new camps, securing parameters, moving platoons, setting up watching posts, methods foraging and demolition, and the emergency occupation of villages. Despite the later introduction of armoured cars, light tanks and aircraft, it retains much of its value and it was recently reissued to the Pakistan Army.
Britian's return to Afghanistan in 2001 alongside Coalition forces and the Pakistan Army fighting in Waziristan, conjures inescapeable parallels with earlier conflicts, and the third Afghan war in particular. Remarkably many of the ideas and principles Skeen identified still hold true. Now as then, the arena of fighting was tough and unforgiving. The Afghans and Pashtuns have proved themselves incredibly resourceful, skilled and resolute, demanding the very best expertise, tactics and dedication from the Coalition troops. This book offers a evocative insight into the period and serves as a timely reminder of Britian's historic association with the North West Frontier and Afghanistan.
General Sir Andrew Skeen, KCb; KCIE; CMG (20 January 1873-18 Feburary 1935) served in the British Indian Army, rising to the position of Chief of General Staff (CGS). He also served in China during the Boxer rebellion in 1900 and in Gallipoli during the First World War.
Robert Johnson is the author of Spying for Empire and The Great Game in Central and Southern Asia
Foreword by Field Marshal Sir Philip W. Chetwode,GCB;GCSI;KCMG;DSO
During the first half of the twentieth century, the mountainous North West Frontier represented one of the British Empire's most strategically important borders. For thousands of inexperienced British and Indian troops facing local resistence the methods and lessons of their predecssors were vital for their survival.
General Sir Andrew Skeen's unofficial but authoritative textbook was written with these junior officers in mind. His work provided them with pragmatic and practical information on hill warfare in an accessible fashion. Skeen's understanding of frontier fighting remains as valuable to modern troops fighting local insurgents today as it was to successive generation of imperial soldiers who faced tribal uprisings.
In May 1919, the new Emir of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan-convinced that the British Empire was on the brink of collapse-proclaimed a jihad against Britian in the hope he could sieze the old Afghan provinces west of the river Indus and humiliate his old enemy. The war began with the invasion of the tribal belt, in what is today Pakistan, where Amanullah expected to rouse all the tribes against the British. British-Indian forces retaliated by fighting their way across the mountains and back up the Khyber Pass. For the sake of a better peace, the Third Afghan War ended with Britian granting autonomy in foreign affairs to the Afghans in the Treaty of Rawalpindi. Whilst air power had played a significant in the British success, the Afghans had issued a stark reminder that they were formidable adversaries.
General Sir Andrew Skeen was one of Britian's most experienced frontier warfare officers and spent the years 1919-1920 fighting the Mahsuds and Waziris, the most notorious of all cross border groups. The majority of troops under his command were initially wholly inexperienced and barelt fit for frontier service. Lessons in Imperial Rule(first published in 1932 under the title Passing it On) was written with a view to imparting sound, practical advise on fighting in this region for future generations.
The lesson explained include the various aspects of work in establishing new camps, securing parameters, moving platoons, setting up watching posts, methods foraging and demolition, and the emergency occupation of villages. Despite the later introduction of armoured cars, light tanks and aircraft, it retains much of its value and it was recently reissued to the Pakistan Army.
Britian's return to Afghanistan in 2001 alongside Coalition forces and the Pakistan Army fighting in Waziristan, conjures inescapeable parallels with earlier conflicts, and the third Afghan war in particular. Remarkably many of the ideas and principles Skeen identified still hold true. Now as then, the arena of fighting was tough and unforgiving. The Afghans and Pashtuns have proved themselves incredibly resourceful, skilled and resolute, demanding the very best expertise, tactics and dedication from the Coalition troops. This book offers a evocative insight into the period and serves as a timely reminder of Britian's historic association with the North West Frontier and Afghanistan.
General Sir Andrew Skeen, KCb; KCIE; CMG (20 January 1873-18 Feburary 1935) served in the British Indian Army, rising to the position of Chief of General Staff (CGS). He also served in China during the Boxer rebellion in 1900 and in Gallipoli during the First World War.
Robert Johnson is the author of Spying for Empire and The Great Game in Central and Southern Asia
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